


You know what's great about you? Everything

by Agelefae



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, superhero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:37:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4162485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agelefae/pseuds/Agelefae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superhero AU as a warm up to getting back into writing. And just in time for DaveJade week!</p>
            </blockquote>





	You know what's great about you? Everything

**Author's Note:**

> Based on my theory that every superhero with a normal human love interest: The love interest is so amazing that the only person who could hope to keep up would be someone with superpowers.

Red Knight finished tying up some white supremacists after destroying their guns. He ignored their angry curses and used one of their phones to call the cops as he pinned a note to the wall with a miniature katana his bro made that had all the evidence to lock them away.

When he could hear the sirens, he flew away into the night, slightly satisfied at the easy job tonight. He was getting tired of this “superhero” nonsense, and no amount of his bro calling it “ironic” can make him continue doing so. So what if time was his bitch and he could fly? His bro could fly, and was better at fighting than he was. Red Knight, aka Dave Strider was pretty certain that his bro just got tired of being a superhero and just pawned whatever self-righteous duty bro felt off on him.

  _“With great power” my ass!_ Dave thought. _I’m done!_

This wasn’t ironic. This was just getting in the way of him and his love of music, crappy ironic art, and paleontology. Maybe he could even get a degree in something. His bro made enough to cover the costs of that, but no, he never had the time since SOMEONE insisted that Dave be a superhero.

“Sup?” His bro called out as he opened the window to their high-rise apartment. Making the Strider equivalent of a grimace, he stepped awkwardly through the window.

“I’m done, bro.” Dave called out, shedding his Red Knight clothing as he made his way to bro’s room. “I can’t do this anymore. Stick a fork in me and call me macaroni, this shit is the lamest thing ever in the history of lame. Where is the irony? There fucking isn’t.” Dave leaned against the doorframe glaring at his bro.

His bro, one Dirk Strider looked up at Dave over the random robot pieces he had out before him, a screwdriver poised over a screw. “Well, we’ve been looking for some extra help down in the lab.” Dirk said simply.

“What, so I stop with your pet project to keep the city streets safe now I have to help you with your job?” Dave raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“At least until you figure out what you wanna do, little man.” He had Dave there, though Dave refused to admit it out loud.

“What if I have something I wanna do?” Dave countered sullenly, causing Dirk to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Even so, I am in need of extra hands down at the lab tomorrow, if only to write down experiments.”

“It’s like you’re trying to get me down there because you wanna hook me up with one of your coworkers.”

“If I was trying to do that, little man, I would’ve tried that sooner rather than now. Easier to make them swoon if you have a superhero alter ego. “

“Fuck off.” Dave pushed off of the doorframe and left before his bro could say anything more. Tomorrow would be boring, and he better hit the hay and not fall asleep and get teased by his bro later.

\-------------------------- 

 

Dave never really cared to know who his bro worked for; all he knew was that it was a science lab that dealt with a number of things like robotics, astrophysics, and other science-y things. And when he entered the building, it lived up to that. The only thing was that he hoped he wouldn’t fall asleep on his feet because of this snooze fest.

“This is the lab that I share with Doctors Harley and Zahhak.” Bro said as he entered a room after navigating the labyrinthine halls of the building. “Sup Zahhak?” He said in greeting to a person in a navy labcoat with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, engine grease on his brow and sweating profusely as he worked on a giant machine.

“Excuse me as I am in the middle of something tricky and don’t say hello, Strider.” Dr. Zahhak grunted.

Dirk then steered Dave to a workbench that had cans of orange soda littered all over it, which made this workbench Dirk’s. Grabbing a piece of machinery, he shoved it in Dave’s hands.

“Hold this still.” Was all the direction Dirk gave before he stared to fix other machine parts to it, sometimes removing others, and squinting at it for long intervals of time. Dave was right, this was snore fest and all he can do is try to keep awake by counting to sixty over and over again.

“Oh! You did bring in your brother! A shame, ‘cause I wanted you to help me, Dirk!” A pleasant, feminine voice called out, causing both Dave and Dirk to turn to see a pretty young woman with a bucktoothed smile, hands on hips as her green eyes danced merrily.

“Too bad, Harley. I have my own project I’m working on and I don’t want to keep bringing it home with me.” Dirk said, turning back to the machine in Dave’s hands.

“And you’re not even going to introduce us?” Jade rolled her eyes, the smile not quite leaving her lips and the mock exasperation with Dirk coloring her words. She smiled and seeing as though Dave had his hands full, lightly clapped him on the back. “I’m Dr. Jade Harley and I’m one of the unfortunate souls that share a lab with your brother. You must be Dave?”

_Does she always smile?_ Dave thought before he answered her. “Yeah, I’m the unfortunate soul who shares the same DNA as Dirk.” He deadpanned to her, which caused a laugh to bubble out of her.

“You win! I can’t compete with that!” Dave idly thought that it was nice to joke with her like this. And even better for Dirk, because that means that someone other than him gives him shit. “Tell you what,” she said when the laughter died down, “You have a great sense of humor, want to help me by being _my_ extra set of hands?”

“Dude, I brought him in to help me.” Dirk said, stopping what he was doing and looking at her.

“Yes, but you don’t like to talk as you do your work and I do. I can at least make sure your brother isn’t bored.” She looked at Dave, “what do you say?”

“To get away from snore central here? Please.” Dave handed the machine to Dirk, who looks very put out, but honestly Dave didn’t care. He was rewarded with a giggle before she turned and led him away to what she was working on.

Honestly, he was impressed with what she was doing, researching a device that could run on dark matter or energy or something, and she kept him entertained even if he didn’t understand a word of it. Dave was soon drawing the conclusion that it required an extraordinary person to keep up with her, and he could keep up with his bro! And soon, he just became in awe of her, because no matter that he had _superpowers_ , she was _more_. More intelligent, more kind, caring, frankly physically stronger, which was new to him, and he honestly thought that if he put her in the path of any of the known super villains, she would shame them all, kick their butt, and still have no superpowers. Actually, that started to sound like a mighty fine idea to him.

“It’s getting late.” Dirk said when he came near them at the end of the shift. “You should head home, Harley, me and Dave can lock down the lab.”

And that’s when Jade went from ‘I’m attracted to you as a friend’ to ‘Holy shit, I’m attracted to you’.

“It’s ok! With Red Knight prowling the streets, I can stay longer and be safe on the way home!”

 Dave had never heard his time as a superhero like that. All he heard was the weird backlash and scrutiny that came with being a superhero. Sometimes a ‘thank you’, if he was lucky, but this? Jade Harley, woman extraordinaire, who has fucking _gun trophies_ on her work bench, felt safe that Dave was out there; Keeping the streets clear for people. The one thing Dave was so sure of earlier was that Jade _didn’t_ need a superhero; she could take on the world and own it within _days_. And yet…

“I dunno, Harley, Red Knight seems to be slowing down.” Dirk drawled.

“Well, it could be that there are more people afraid to do crime where he can see it!” Jade exclaimed.

“Do you really believe that?” Dave asked, genuinely curious.

“Of course! Red Knight has made the streets safer so that I don’t have to do the silly thing like, say, stop when I’m really close to figuring something out because I have to leave early because I can’t be sure someone won’t try to attack me.” She made a face. “I can’t even bring a gun with me here for self-defense, so that means I _have_ to leave early.”

Dave started laughing at that. Of course this woman would be angry at that, and welcome a superhero if it meant that she could do what she wanted to longer. He was pretty sure that not even he, as super powered as he is, could keep up with her in anything.

“I doubt Red Knight is out there just to make it so it’s easier for just _you_.” Dave said in way of explaining his outburst.

“No, but it makes it easier for me to obey the laws.” She said with a scowl. “And him being there helps those who are afraid of the night and what it means.”

“Well, why don’t you become a vigilante?” Dave asked, laughter still in his voice.

“Because I already don’t get enough sleep as it is, working on the projects here!” Dave held in his laughter as he scurried away, not having a reason to explain another outburst. She was one heck of a woman. “See you tomorrow!” She called out to him.

_Oh yeah, one heck of a woman._ He thought as he followed his brother outside.

 --------------------

 

He said last night that he was going to stop being Red Knight, and he was still 100% certain that he doesn’t want to be Red Knight anymore, but he still donned on the costume and headed out. He said that it wasn’t because of Jade, but then here he was, being a class A stalker and following Jade to make sure she gets home safe.  And he’s glad he did. For of all the days, of all the nights, this was the night that someone decided to try to attack Jade.

And so he stopped time a bit around the attacker and Jade and flew down and kicked his gun out of his hand and tackled him to the ground before the weird time limit hold on time made it so everyone’s time moved forward again.

He heard Jade gasp. But he was too busy wrestling with the attacker to talk to her. Then her bag swung against the attacker, he heard a metallic sound, and the attacker was down. Of course Jade has some sort of weapon.

“I guess you didn’t need my help, then.” He said as he tied up the attacker, lowering his voice to try to mask it from her.

“N-No. I guess not, but he certainly caught me by surprise!”  Finished with the gunperson, Dave as the Red Knight looked at her. She was shaking.

“Are you alright? You’re shaking.” He got up and slowly moved near her.

“I am, just a little in shock, I guess. I always assumed it would happen one day, but…” She looked at Red Knight, “I never thought I would be so scared out of my wits that I just stood there when he started yelling. Thank you, Sir Knight.”

“It’s Red Knight.” Red Knight drawls, though being called Sir Knight was a new one.

“Still a knight in… red armor.” She took a deep breath and a shaking step. Dave was there instantly at her elbow, steadying her. “I’m fine, really Sir Knight. I’m a grown woman and can take care of myself. You should probably see if there are others who are being attacked right now.”

Dave didn’t like this Jade. She wasn’t the Jade he spent the day with, the one who always had a smile on her face and laughed a lot. He tapped near his ear.

“I got a police scanner hooked up to this, and it’s pretty quiet right now.” He found himself saying truthfully. “And, well, a program that scans for violence through any sort of recording device.” Dirk set it up.

Jade looked up at him, and he felt his heart stutter painfully at the expression of hope, fear, and some sort of melancholy.

“I can walk you home, Miss, if that’s alright.” He found himself saying.

“No,” she told him with a small smile, humor returning to her eyes. “I’m alright, really. Besides, we’ve only just met, so I think we have to rethink the date for some other time. I don’t even know if the feelings are mutual.” She teased.

“Is that a promise, though, for a date?” He hazarded a lopsided smile her way. For some reason, hoping. Until he remembered that he was in a costume, his face half obscured, and she only knew him as Red Knight right now. He mentally kicked himself.

She laughed and stared at him, as if taking him in. Finally, she smiled a dazzling smile and leaned in after a quick glance to her assailant.

“Perhaps ask me again tomorrow, Dave.” She whispered with a wink and left him standing there, dazed. How did she-?

He flew after her, not caring about the illusion that gravity had any effect on him right now, instead caught up in the puzzle that was one Dr. Jade Harley.

“Wait, Jade, how did you-“

“Know? Oh it was easy, once I took a good look at you.” She said, looking at him flying with childlike glee. “Can you extend your hold on someone else’s gravity and have them fly or is it only just you and Dirk?” She asked. God, Dave could never keep up with Jade.

“How-“

“Well, I’ve caught him in the act a few times at work, when he thought no one was looking. It was only half an inch, but I still noticed.” Dirk was going to flip his shit. Dave could feel it. “And how did I know it was you? Well, since I work in the same lab as Dirk for a few years now, I can spot his work. Here?” She tapped under her ear, “easily Dirk’s work and I’m pretty certain I had a hand in that. Plus, you smile the same, are the same height, weight, and though you wear shades to hide them, you have the same eyes. I saw them when you were looking another way. It’s hard to mistake someone with different colored eyes. How many people would have red eyes? The answer is one. And it’s you. Plus you confirmed it with saying my name.”

She stopped walking and tuned to him with a big grin on her face, and laughed when she saw his flabbergasted face. He really couldn’t keep up with her.

“Well, this is my apartment!” Dave shook himself.

“Will you keep it a secret? I mean, that I am, well, Red Knight?” He ventured to ask.

“Of course, as long as you promise me one thing.”

“And what’s that?”

“You don’t stop being a superhero.” Her face was stern. “You keep being good and helping those who need it.”

“I-“ He cleared his throat and started again, “I will.” She nodded in satisfaction and started up the steps to her apartment, digging in her bag. “Jade?” He called, and he really could kick himself, but at the same time, he was too in awe of her.

“Hm?” She turned and looked at him, one dark eyebrow raised.

“Will you carry something that sends a message to me to know if you’re ever in trouble again, or need backup when you take on all the super villains of the world?”

Jade rewarded him with the biggest grin as her cheeks grew warmer.

“Sure.” He turned to go and fly back to Dirk, when she stopped him with a gentle voice. “And pick me up on Sunday at 6.”

Jade then hurriedly unlocked the front door and slipped inside as fast as she could.

Dave just stared at her, unbelieving.  Before a dopey smile stretched across his face and he flew off, searching for trouble to try to keep his promise to Jade.

 -----------------

 

Dave Strider, who also goes as Red Knight, was amazed that his and Jade’s relationship flourished. They started to date, and he still thought himself as the ordinary one compared to her. Even so, Dr. Jade Harley was his rock, and his best supporter, even though she was a terrible thief and stole his heart. And when one of her experiments went wrong and she got superpowers of her own, they became the best superhero duo ever.

Jade sometimes had to angrily slap Dave a few times when she got her powers, saying that she was able to do more now for him, and for innocent people than she ever could, before proposing to Dave.

Soon after marrying, they joined the AlphaBeta Squad, even pulling Dirk out of superhero retirement. And they faced the world together, even though sometimes people had to shut Red Knight up because sometimes he would ramble on about his wife, Space Witch.

 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to get back into the swing of ACTUALLY WRITING so I can start up again on my other DaveJade fic, Bonded to You. Also, sorry about them being out of character. I haven't researched (I.E. re read) how they interact/talk/behave in a while 'cause I've just been so disillusioned by the comic and the fandom.


End file.
